Alkyldimethylamines, particularly wherein the alkyl group contains 10 to 14 carbon atoms, have a variety of commercial uses. For example they can be used per se as lube oil additives and as hardeners for epoxy resins. The quatenary ammonium salts are effective as germicides and are used in textile processing.
Alkyldimethylamines can be prepared from alcohols by processes which convert substantially all of the alcohol to the amine.
Alkyldimethylamines, also, can be prepared from alcohols by processes which give incomplete alcohol conversion. While there are advantages to this type of process there is the disadvantage that alkyldimethylamines having the same number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group as the alcohol from which it is prepared are difficult to separate by distillation. To illustrate this feature the boiling points of alcohols and corresponding alkyldimethylamines are given below.
______________________________________ Boiling Points of Alcohols and Alkyldimethylamines Compound Boiling Point .degree. C. ______________________________________ n-C.sub.12 OH 255-259.degree. at 760 mm, 150.degree. at 20 mm n-C.sub.12 NMe.sub.2 147-148.degree. at 20 mm n-C.sub.14 OH 167.degree. at 15 mm n-C.sub.14 NMe.sub.2 159-161.degree. at 11 mm n-C.sub.16 OH 340.degree. at 760 mm, 190.degree. at 15 mm n-C.sub.16 NMe.sub.2 203.degree. at 17 mm ______________________________________
It is thus apparent that it would be desirable to have a technique for separating alcohols and alkyldimethylamines. My invention is directed to providing a solution to this problem.